So many of the narratives in sports are fundamentally visual—stories told by plays, opportunities missed and seized—that the art of writing a compelling book about a sport is easy to take for granted...

Sometimes it's possible to secure a moment—when all the sports and athletes you love are free from the burden of archaic collegiate rules, concussions, violent crimes or any one of the countless antagonisms that haunt sports fans...

For some things, context means everything. Context is why 'scary' costumes rarely evoke as much as single heart palpitation on Halloween and why anyone who superfluously wears shorts in January looks like a jerk...

Retirement is an inevitable part of an athlete's career; the significance of it is tied to when and why . If an athlete manages to avoid a career-ending injury, or old-fashioned failure, then eventually age will render the final verdict...

If dancing was just about spontaneously moving your body and limbs around in a way that feels choreographed—without freaking people out—it would be tough to do well, but less mortifying an experience...

Competition is by it's very nature, cold-hearted—maybe not for those on the same team, but certainly when it comes to the relationship between two opponents. In sports, the competitive aspect is only one essential element...